Houston, America’s fourth most populous city, has implemented a night-time curfew to prevent looting from abandoned homes as authorities and volunteers battle to rescue stranded people and provide shelter for those made homeless by the rising waters.

The curfew runs from 00:00-05:00 local time for an indefinite period. Relief volunteers, first responders, and those going to and from work are exempt.

According to the National Weather Service, the rainfall in Texas set a new record for the continental US. A rain gauge in Cedar Bayou recorded nearly 52in of rain since August 25.

President Donald Trump visited Texas on August 29 to survey the damage brought by Harvey.

He arrived in Corpus Christi, where Hurricane Harvey first made landfall last week, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump.

President Trump said he wanted the relief effort to stand as an example of how to respond to a storm.

“We want to do it better than ever before.

“This storm, it’s epic what happened. But you know what, it happened in Texas and Texas can handle anything.”

President Trump will not be visiting Houston.

According to the White House, the president did not want his visit to disrupt the emergency response.

President Trump has declared a federal state of emergency in both Texas and Louisiana. The move releases emergency government funding and other assistance.

Harvey was the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years when it made landfall at Corpus Christi, 220 miles south-west of Houston. The storm is expected to continue dumping huge amounts of rain in the coming days over already flood-hit areas.

Duck Dynasty’s Phil and Miss Kay Robertson bought 21.5 acres of riverfront property in a show of commitment to their Louisiana roots.

Phil Robertson, 67, and Miss Kay, 63, purchased the land on the Ouachita River, Louisiana, before the Duck Dynasty patriarch’s suspension from the reality show by A&E following his anti-gay comments made in GQ magazine.

Phil and Miss Kay Robertson bought 21.5 acres of riverfront property in a show of commitment to their Louisiana roots

According to RadarOnline, the deed for the property said Phil Robertson and his wife paid $50,000 on July 17, 2013, for the plot of land.

Phil and Miss Kay Robertson have been living in a modest home in the backwoods of West Monroe, Louisiana, for years.

Louisiana’s Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne says Duck Dynasty reality show is important to state tourism and he could help connect the Robertson family with new producers if they cannot reach agreement with A&E Networks.

“Regardless of one’s views on Phil Robertson’s statements, Duck Dynasty has been an important representation of the state of Louisiana, inspiring prospective visitors and investors since its debut,” Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne said in a statement emailed Saturday.

Duck Dynasty is produced around the Robertson family’s home base in Ouachita Parish. KNOE-TV of Monroe reported in February that the show was bringing people from around the country who wouldn’t otherwise stop in northeast Louisiana. The Duck Commander warehouse has become a tourist attraction, said Alana Cooper, director of the Monroe-West Monroe Visitors and Convention Bureau.

Jay Dardenne, whose job includes running the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said the audience of tens of millions is eager to visit Louisiana.

“If the Robertson family cannot come to an agreement with A&E and wants to continue the show, Louisiana already has the infrastructure in place to maintain their record-breaking program,” he wrote.

Jay Dardenne, who authored the state’s film and TV tax credit program, said he would use his influence in the state’s industry to help the Robertsons.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said Thursday that everyone is entitled to express their opinions.

More than 1.7 million fans have liked an impromptu Facebook page titled Boycott A&E Until Phil Robertson Is Put Back On Duck Dynasty – one of numerous pages with similar names, though none of the others has even 1 percent as many “Likes”.

President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to hit the US as a category two hurricane.

Tropical Storm Isaac is heading for New Orleans, possibly as early as Tuesday night, nearly seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

The Republican Party delayed by a day the start of its national convention in Tampa, Florida.

Isaac killed at least 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The storm wrought significant flooding and damage in the Caribbean.

Late on Monday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned Isaac could reach category two strength, with top winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The forecast was revised up from category one.

Barack Obama approved Louisiana’s request for a federal disaster declaration, making available federal funds for recovery activities such as clearing debris.

President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to hit the US as a category two hurricane

Earlier, the governors of Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama declared emergencies in their states.

The Republican governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have cancelled their trips to their party’s convention to focus on disaster prevention efforts.

Isaac is already a large storm and could bring significant damage to areas within hundreds of miles of its centre, officials warn.

The NHC said that at 23:00 EDT on Monday (03:00 GMT on Tuesday), Isaac was centred about 189 miles (305 km) south-east of the mouth of the Mississippi river, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 70 mph (110 km/h).

The storm is moving forward at about 10mph and storm winds extend out about 205 miles (335 km) from the centre.

The NHC warned that wind speeds could reach between 96-110 mph before the storm makes landfall.

Evacuations have already been ordered for some low-lying Louisiana parishes and parts of coastal Alabama.

Wednesday is the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which strengthened in the Gulf to a category five storm, before weakening to category three by the time it reached New Orleans.

Federal officials said the levees around New Orleans are now equipped to handle storms stronger than Isaac. Levee failures led to the catastrophic flooding in the area after Katrina.

“It’s a much more robust system than what it was when Katrina came ashore,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said in a conference call with reporters.

Craig Fugate also said that Isaac was not just a New Orleans storm.

“This is a Gulf Coast storm. Some of the heaviest impact may be in Alabama and Mississippi,” he said.

A stream of vehicles left New Orleans on the highway heading west for Baton Rouge on Monday, as people made their way to higher ground.

Linda Grandison, who fled her home in 2005 and waited on a bridge for three days before she was rescued by a helicopter, has also decided to leave early, the Associated Press reported.

“You can’t predict God’s work,” she said.

“This is nerve-wracking. I hate leaving my house, worrying if it’s going to flood or get looted. But I’m not going to stay in the city again.”

Evacuations have already been put in place for Louisiana’s St Charles Parish, near New Orleans, and some areas of coastal Alabama.

A hurricane warning is already in effect for some 300 miles of the Gulf Coast in four states from Louisiana to Florida, with lower-level warnings issued for many areas along Florida’s west coast.

Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters on Monday that 60,000 people were already without power as a result of the storm.

Storm surges of 6-12ft (1.83-3.66m) were possible along the Gulf coast, with the biggest danger in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

As much as 1ft of rain could fall.

US offshore oil production is expected to be badly hit, as are refineries in lowland Louisiana.

As much as 78% of the Gulf’s crude oil production and 48% of its natural gas production had been closed ahead of the storm, government figures showed.

BP and Chevron have shut down oil production in the Gulf, and BP is evacuating its platform there.

Tens of thousands of Louisiana residents have been ordered to evacuate as Tropical Storm Isaac picks up strength in the Gulf of Mexico.

Isaac may strike seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the same area.

More than 50,000 residents of the St. Charles Parish in southeast Louisiana have been told to leave ahead of Isaac, which is currently churning in the Gulf.

Earlier in the day, Gov. Bobby Jindal had also suggested that anyone in low-lying parts of the state’s coastal parishes evacuate.

A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of the state east of Morgan City, which includes the New Orleans area.

Isaac is expected to be a strong Category 2 hurricane when it comes ashore late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Wednesday is the seventh anniversary of Katrina.

There were fears that Isaac could strike New Orleans with the same deadly force as the monster storm, which wiped out homes and led to the death of nearly 2,000 people.

Tens of thousands of Louisiana residents have been ordered to evacuate as Tropical Storm Isaac picks up strength in the Gulf of Mexico

Meanwhile, Isaac shifted West into the Gulf of Mexico after lashing the Florida Keys with strong winds and heavy rain.

Also on Sunday, Alabama joined Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana in declaring a state of emergency as Isaac looms.

The National Hurricane Center said Isaac was due to be at or near category-two hurricane strength soon after its center crosses the Florida Keys late on Sunday.

The latest forecast takes Isaac into the Mississippi coast with maximum sustained winds from 96 to 110 mph over the next few days.

At least 1,836 people died and cost of the damage was estimated at $110 billion. Forbes reported that Isaac has the possibility to rival Katrina in its destructive power.

A storm becomes a hurricane when sustained winds reach a minimum of 74 miles per hour (119 kph).

The NHC said Isaac was expected to intensify to a Category 2 hurricane, with “extremely dangerous” sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (169 kph), as it swept up the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle on Sunday.

At 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, Isaac was about 50 miles (85 km) south-southeast of Key West and packing top sustained winds of 60 miles (100 km) per hour.

Tropical force winds from the massive storm stretched across 400 miles (644 km), with rain bands extending even further, said NHC meteorologist David Zelinsky.

It meant Isaac could cause significant damage even in places where it does not pass directly overhead.

“It certainly is a large storm,” he said, noting that wind gusts of 60 mph (100 kph) had been detected as far apart as Key West and Palm Beach.

The storm will likely pick up strength from the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and strike as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane somewhere between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday.

Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights as the storm lashed southeastern Florida today. Airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale were hit the hardest, cancelling 573 flights – the vast majority of the 654 U.S. flights grounded overall because of the storm as of Sunday morning.

There were scattered power outages from Key West to Fort Lauderdale affecting more than 6,000 customers, and flooding occurred in low-lying areas.

Isaac has brought havoc to the Caribbean already, killing seven people in Haiti and downing trees and power lines in Cuba.

It had officials worried enough in Tampa that they shuffled around some plans for the Republican National Convention.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will officially be nominated as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate on Tuesday, one day later than originally planned.

His nationally-televised acceptance speech will be on Thursday night as originally planned.

Tuesday evening’s program includes remarks by Ann Romney, the candidate’s wife, as well as by New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, previously announced as the keynote speaker.

Paul Ryan will deliver his acceptance speech Wednesday evening in prime time in the eastern part of the United States, and Mitt Romney’s speech dominates the final night.

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